Stage 1 & 2 

Health and Wellbeing

Throughout the course of the semester this subject has focussed on individual, local and global health issues. We have focussed on what causes some people to have better access to health resources and why some populations have advantages when it comes to health outcomes. To conclude the course for the semester students in year 11 and 12 have embarked on a health promoting activity designed to improve the health outcomes of a target group or target health issue.

Working in groups, our year 12’s were tasked with conducting a health promoting education session with the intention of developing the audience’s personal skills and knowledge. They then presented this to Middle School classes at Aberfoyle Park High School. Topics that were chosen included:

• social media and the influence this is having on a decline in adolescent mental health
• the dangers and risks of smoking
• consequences of an inactive lifestyle and how to make positive changes
• understanding the fuels we are putting into our body and how this is contributing to a rise in diet related disease.

Our year 11’s were given the task to focus on poverty and homelessness within the state, with groups choosing a range of different ways to tackle/improve the issue. These included:

• social media awareness raising campaigns about how easy it can be for people to become homeless, what can be done to reduce it and where you can go for support.
• collection of donated hygiene items from the school community to be donated to Treasure Boxes
• raising of funds on behalf of the Hutt St Centre

Many of the students initially were sceptical about the impact their health promoting actions could have on an issue that may not directly affect them. What they have all walked away with however is evidence that any action, no matter how small, can have an impact on the health of others and can improve community connectedness. 

I am extremely proud of this group of students and what they have achieved in semester 1.